1892 –1927

Born in Tokyo, he graduated from the English Literature Department of Tokyo Imperial University. While still a student, he co-founded the third iteration of the literary magazine Shinshichō. His short story The Nose was highly praised by Natsume Sōseki, and the following year, he published his first short story collection, Rashōmon. Drawing inspiration from history and classical literature from both Japan and around the world, he wrote numerous works, including Hōkyōnin no shi（”The Death of a Christian”）, Toshishun（”Tu Tze-chun”）, Kappa, Haguruma（”Spinning Gears” or “Cogwheels”）, and Aru Ahō no Isshō（”A Fool’s Life” or “The Life of a Fool”）.